Gotham High: Family Secrets
by NYC Hell Butterfly
Summary: Dick Grayson is about to learn his family kept a major secret from him. He had a twin sister who was stillborn... Or WAS she? Can Dick, his twin, and their allies stop Joker, Lex Luthor, and others from destroying Gotham City? Set in a high school where some characters are teachers and others are students. Feat. Robin, Batman, Wonder Woman, Artemis, Kid Flash, Harley Quinn & more.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: _The New Girl_**

**_JOEY_**

Being the new girl was a strange experience for Joey. Her adoptive father had always had her home schooled by private tutors, but after years of pleading with him, he'd finally agreed to let her enroll in Gotham High School. Now she sat in front of a very intimidating man. That didn't bother her. Her father was one of the most intimidating men on the planet.

Principal Wayne was looking over her records. "Joanna Grace Luthor... Age sixteen... Junior... Excellent grades, several academic achievements, active in community service... You seem like a very well-rounded student, Joanna. We're happy to welcome you to Gotham High School."

"It's Joey, actually," she said quickly. "But thank you, Principal Wayne."

"Of course." He smiled at her and Joey understood why people were so drawn to this man. He practically oozed charisma. "Miss Lance will show you to your first class, Joey."

A woman walked into the office and smiled at Joey. "Hello, Joey. I'm Miss Lance, the head of the guidance department. If you need anything to help ease your transition, my door is always open," she said pleasantly.

"Thanks," Joey replied. She followed Miss Lance to a room down the hall.

"This is your English class, with Mr. Kent." Miss Lance opened the door and motioned for Joey to follow her inside. "Mr. Kent, this is Joey Luthor. She'll be joining your class from now on."

Joey thought Mr. Kent stiffened slightly at her name, but he recovered quickly, flashing her a kind smile. "Welcome, Joey! Have a seat anywhere that's open," he said.

Joey kept her head down as she headed to the first empty seat she could find. She sat down and looked next to her to find a boy staring at her. He smiled at her cheerfully and said, "Hello, Gorgeous! I'm Wally. Wally West. Nice to see some new blood around here!"

"Hi, Wally," she replied, returning his smile. He seemed kind of goofy, but at least he was friendly. "I'm Joey."

A girl with blonde hair smirked at her. " Don't mind Wally. He's a moron. I'm Artemis," she said. "And this is Barbara." She pointed to a girl with glasses.

Barbara smiled, too. "Welcome to Gotham!" She said enthusiastically.

"Thanks," Joey replied. At least the other students were being welcoming. Some of her nerves calmed down.

The door opened and a boy rushed inside. "Sorry, Mr. K," he said. "But I swear, I have a _really _good reason for being late!"

"Here we go," Wally said with a laugh.

"Dick, this is the _fourth_ time you've been late, and it's only the second week of class," Mr. Kent said.

"I know, Sir, but my lunch exploded."

"Your... Your _lunch _exploded?"

"Yeah! There I was, simply minding my business, when it just went _kaboom_! I mean, what are the chances, right? I thought I just packed a ham and cheese sandwich and some brownies, but apparently, some kind of chemical was all over it, and as soon as the subway started moving through the tunnel, it exploded! I have no idea what happened, but it made a real mess, and, you know, a guy's gotta eat. So I got off of the train and went back home to grab a fresh sandwich and find a couple more brownies... And here I am!"

"Dick..." Mr. Kent shook his head. "Just have a seat, okay? And try not to bring any more explosives on the subway." He went back to writing the notes for the day on the blackboard.

"Of _course_, Sir!" Dick cheerfully walked over to the seat behind Wally. "Sup, Wallster? Babs? Artemis?" He paused when he saw Joey. They locked eyes for a second, and that was when she felt it...

A chill ran up her spine. "Dick, have you met Joey? She's new," Barbara said.

Dick continued to stare at her for a moment. He seemed so familiar to Joey, but she couldn't figure out why that was. "Hi," she finally said after a moment.

"Hi," Dick replied. He didn't seem so chatty now as he studied her.

"Wow. You're the first person to ever leave him speechless!" Wally said with a laugh. "Does Dick have a crush?"

Barbara looked down at her notebook with a frown on her face. Artemis smacked Wally on the back of his head. "Idiot!" She snapped at him.

"Ouch! I mean... _Sorry_," Wally said automatically. "It's just that Dick's got a response for pretty much everything under the sun, but he's suddenly awfully shy. Did you _finally _hit puberty, Buddy?"

"Did _you?" _Artemis asked Wally. "Because if _this _is as good as it gets for your looks... Well, you can always use your hand when you're lonely!"

"Did I ever tell you that you're kind of mean, Artemis?" Wally asked. "I'm just wondering why Dick suddenly went all quiet on us."

"I'm just taking in the new girl's face and committing it to memory," Dick replied casually. "It's nice to meet you, Joey. I'm Dick Grayson."

"You _really_ go by Dick? You don't hear that much in this day and age," Joey said. "I mean, it's short for Richard, right? Most guys would go by Richie or something."

Dick shrugged. "My family always called me Dick. It stuck. They're dead, so it would be messed up to change it now, right?" He laughed casually.

Joey stared at him in surprise. Artemis smacked _him_ on the back of his head this time. "Boys, I _swear_!" She said. "Don't mind him. He blurts that out all the time like it's nothing."

"Why _shouldn't_ I? It's _true_, and anyone who googles my name would come across it anyway," Dick said. "What's the big deal?"

"The _big deal _is that _most_ people freak out about having dead parents, or at least put more emotion into the mention of them than someone puts into talking about the weather."

"They've been gone for a long time, Artemis... Why dwell on it? I can't change it."

"I'm sorry," Joey said. "I don't have a family, either."

Dick looked surprised now. "You _don't_?" He asked.

"Well, I _sort of _do... I was adopted by my father, Lex Luthor, but-"

"Your _father_ is _Lex Luthor_?" Wally asked in shock.

"Did you _not_ put that together from her last name?" Artemis asked, rolling her eyes. "How many people with the surname Luthor do you think there _are_ in Gotham City?"

"I never knew my biological family," Joey explained.

"_I _did," Dick said softly. "Maybe you're luckier. I mean, at least you don't know what you're missing, right?"

"I guess... Who do _you_ live with?" Joey asked.

"Only the _coolest_ guardian _ever_," Dick said grandly, his face lighting up with excitement. "Bruce Wayne took me in after my family died. He's great."

"Bruce Wayne... As in our _principal_?"

"As in the richest, most awesome bachelor in all of Gotham? Yeah, one and the same. I'm the luckiest kid in town."

"You guys both got adopted by rich bachelors," Wally said with a laugh. "You _already _have a ton in common! It's totally fate that you met."

"Ahem... May I teach my lesson now?" Mr. Kent asked with a patient smile.

"Go on, Mr. K!" Dick said. "Enlighten us with your great wisdom!"

Joey tried to focus as the lesson began, but she kept finding herself watching Dick instead. She noticed that every time she glanced at him, he was watching her, too. She couldn't explain it, but she knew he was feeling the same strange sensation that she was.

_**BRUCE**_

"This _could _be trouble, Diana," Bruce Wayne said with a frown. "What exactly were you _thinking _when you allowed that corrupt lunatic Lex Luthor's daughter to enroll in this school?"

"I was _thinking_ that every girl deserves a solid education," Diana Prince replied. "I was _thinking_ that she is an innocent child and cannot control who her father is. And I was _thinking _that keeping the girl close might actually be beneficial to us. We can keep an eye on her and ensure she stays on the right path."

"I just don't want to risk this ending badly, Diana. The safety of our students is at stake."

"You saw her record. She is _exactly_ the sort of student we strive to enroll here. She seems like a lovely girl."

"And her father seems like a wonderful man until the skeletons in his closet come out to play."

"We have yet to find solid evidence of Luthor being involved in anything illegal, and even if he is, the girl is just a teenager. I am sure she is not involved in any of it."

"And if it turns out that she _is?"_

"Then we will deal with her accordingly... Just give the child a fair chance, Bruce. Please."

"Fine... But I'm going to have Dinah keep a close eye on her."

"That's fair." Diana smiled at him. "Now get back to work, Bruce. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I hope you're right." He frowned again before returning to the mountain of paperwork on his desk.

_**DICK**_

Dick was seriously distracted at lunch. He watched the new girl, Joey, as she ate by herself. Her long black hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail and he studied her features. There was something familiar about them. He continued to stare at her. What _was _it about her? Dick wasn't sure why he was so fascinated by this girl. Was it because she was new? There _had _to be more to it.

"Ah, _lunch! _My favorite subject!" Wally declared, snapping Dick out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, it's probably the _only_ subject you're getting an A in," Artemis teased him. Wally sat beside Dick while Artemis sat across from Wally.

"Hi, Dick," Barbara said shyly as she joined them. She sat down next to Artemis. "Is Joey alone? We should invite her to join us."

"You're right," Wally said. He shouted, "Hey, New Girl! Over here!" Artemis whacked him. "Ow! What was _that _for?" He protested.

"She _has _a name," Artemis pointed out. "Joey, come sit with us," she called.

Joey smiled and stood up, carrying her lunch and her backpack with her as she headed to their table. "Thanks, Guys," she said as she sat beside the girls.

"So, Joey, where did you go to school before?" Barbara asked.

"I had private tutors," Joey replied.

"Fancy! Living the good life, just like Dick," Wally said with a laugh.

"You mean Mr. 'The Subway Blew Up My Lunch'?" Artemis asked with a laugh. "Like there's _anyone _who doesn't know Principal Wayne has you driven _everywhere. _He'd have heart failure if you ever took the train to school!"

"It sounded better than 'I overslept and stopped to eat the delicious breakfast Alfred prepared.' So sue me," Dick said with a laugh. "I was up all night hacking a website."

"Criminal," Artemis teased him.

"Hey, Guys!" Billy Batson said as he joined them. "Meatloaf surprise again? Ugh." He crinkled up his nose in disgust as he looked at the food on his tray. "The _surprise_ will be if no one pukes this nasty junk up!"

"Seriously," Dick agreed. "Billy, have you met Joey? She's new."

Billy seemed to notice Joey then. "Oh, hi! I'm Billy Batson. Nice to meet you! Beware the cafeteria food. It may try to eat you."

Joey laughed. "Thanks for the warning," she said.

Dick shifted slightly and his hand brushed against Joey's. The electric shock that hit him must have hit her, too. They both pulled away suddenly, staring at each other.

"What on Earth was _that?" _Barbara asked.

"I think she means what _the fuck _was that?" Artemis chimed in.

Wally shrugged. "It was _science! _Her energy field reacted to his, resulting in a literal _spark. _Romance is in the air!" He joked.

Artemis swung at him, but Wally knew it was coming and took off running, calling over his shoulder, "Catch you guys later!"

Artemis frowned. "Jerk. He _knows _no one else can run that fast. I _swear _he's not human."

"And _that's _why Wally's the star of the track team," Billy said with a laugh.

_He'd better stop showing off, _Dick thought. Wally had been his best friend ever since freshman year. Dick was one of the only people who knew Wally's secret... He was a superhero known to the rest of the world as Kid Flash. Likewise, Wally was the only kid in school who knew that Dick had a secret identity of his own. He was Robin, faithful sidekick of Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne. Wally was also the only person on the planet who knew that Dick had been toying with getting a new identity since the new school year had started. It wasn't that he disliked being Robin, the Boy Wonder. In fact, he _loved _it... But he was starting to feel like he could be _more _than just Batman's sidekick... He just didn't know what, exactly, that meant.

_**HARLEY**_

Harleen Quinzel smiled at the artwork in her notebook. It wasn't until Mr. Napier called her name that she realized she should probably be paying attention to the chemistry lesson instead of doodling.

"Harleen Quinzel!" He snapped.

"Yes, Mr. Napier?" She replied innocently, flashing him a sweet smile.

"See me after class."

Harleen sighed. "Yes, Mr. Napier," she said.

When the bell rang, Harleen went straight to her teacher's desk. "You wanted to see me?" She asked, expecting to get yelled at.

"Harleen... I have a proposition for you," Mr. Napier said, surprising her.

"Okay... What is it?" She asked curiously.

"I need a teacher's assistant... Someone to stay after school with me grading papers and exams. You're very bright, Harleen, but you clearly need a... _challenge. _Would you be interested in the position?"

She stared at him in confusion. "So... I'm not in trouble?"

"Of course not... Everyone gets bored when they aren't challenged, Harleen... May I call you Harley? I think it's a cute nickname, don't you?"

"I like that, actually," Harleen replied. It _was_ cute. Maybe she'd take the nickname on officially.

"So, what do you say, Harley? Do you want the job?"

"Sure! I mean, yeah... Definitely. Thank you, Mr. Napier."

"Mr. Napier's so formal... If we're going to work together, you should call me something more casual... My first name is Jack, so... How about... _Mr. J?"_

Harleen... _Harley_ smiled. "Okay, Mr. J. I like that."

"Great!" Mr. J replied with an enormous grin that made Harley smile wider. "I look forward to working with you, Harley." He touched her shoulder for a minute before sending her on her way. Harley left feeling oddly happy. None of her teachers had ever shown that much of an interest in her before. They generally wrote her off as a very bright but fairly insignificant girl who got distracted by pretty colors and all of the thoughts in her head. Mr. J seemed to understand her somehow. Maybe this year wouldn't suck so much after all.

_**LEX**_

Lex Luthor cleared his throat in annoyance as his guest walked into his office rather late. "You know, if I cannot trust you to keep a simple appointment, Joker, how am I supposed to trust you to execute this plan with me?" He asked.

"Cool your jets, Lex," the Joker replied casually. "I had to speak with one of my students after school."

"I still can't believe you're a chemistry teacher... I expected your cover identity to be a bit... _darker. Scarier, _even."

"Take one of my pop quizzes sometime and I _promise _you'll see why people fear my cover as much as they fear my _true _identity."

Lex shook his head. "Regardless, my time is _not _to be wasted! We need to discuss our plans, and our time is limited because my daughter is due to arrive any minute."

"So stop wasting the time we _do _have and _talk, _Lex. Unless you want your _precious _little girl to get suspicious."

"Definitely not. She must not know the truth behind our plan until the time is right."

"Feeling a tad overprotective there, _Daddy?" _Joker taunted him.

"Joanna is nothing more to me than a tool in my quest for power... However, she isn't ready yet. Until she is, we must protect her from the truth."

"Of _course! _I wouldn't _dream _of messing up your carefully crafted plans, Lexy-Boy! Tell me, what's my next move?"

"Joker, it is _vital _that you-"

"Dad? I'm home!" Joanna called as she entered the house. Lex spun toward the door, panicked.

"Get out! _Now!" _Lex told Joker. He spun back around and realized the Joker had already vanished.

Lex took a deep breath as Joanna walked into his office. "Hello, my darling!" Lex greeted her, pulling the girl into a hug. She might be a pawn in his plan for world domination, but Lex had raised Joanna ever since he'd paid for a healthy newborn infant to be abducted. Infants made _excellent _test subjects, especially when he could control everything she consumed and came into contact with. Over time, however, he'd come to enjoy watching her grow. He'd taken pride in her accomplishments. He'd found her charming as she matured. He'd come to care for her as if she were truly his daughter, but he couldn't let that stand in the way of his plans. When the time came, Joanna must play her part, no matter what he had to do to ensure it happened.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **_**Thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. I welcome and appreciate feedback. Stay tuned, there's more to come!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO: **_**(Over)Whelmed**_

_**DICK**_

He had too much on his mind to even attempt to sleep. Dick sat at his computer and pulled up Google. He searched for Joanna Luthor and began looking through the results. For all intents and purposes, Joey seemed to be a fairly ordinary girl. She had an impressive list of academic achievements and was obviously smart, but nothing stuck out to him. He continued to search until he came across something further back.

"_Lex Luthor presents his newly adopted daughter to the world... Billionaire Lex Luthor showed up at a press conference yesterday with the three week old infant, Joanna Grace Luthor. When questioned, Luthor explained that the child's family abandoned her on the street the day she was born and, upon discovering her, he immediately knew he was meant to raise her. The child is healthy and appears to be quite happy with her new home," _Dick read aloud. "Hmmm... Interesting." He pulled up Gotham City's official records site and began hacking into it, which wasn't even a challenge for him. Their security was almost laughable.

"Ha! Here we go... Joanna Grace Luthor... Abandoned infant, adopted by Lex Luthor, blah, blah, blah, I already know all this... Female, born on..." He paused, confused. "No way..." He whispered. Joey apparently shared his birthday. "Okay..._That's _weird." Dick continued looking through her files. That was when he found it... A picture of Joey, taken the day she was born. She looked like any other newborn baby girl, except for _one _detail...

"That necklace..." Dick whispered as he saw the necklace hanging around little Joey's neck. He'd seen it before... In fact, he had one that looked exactly like it.

The world swayed. Dick grabbed the sides of his desk to steady himself. "She's wearing the same necklace my parents gave me the day I was born... And she's got the same birthday as me... That means..." Dick shook his head. "_What _does that mean? She can't be my sister... I don't _have _a twin... My family never mentioned one... But she has the necklace, and we have the same birthday..." He sighed. Then, he grabbed his phone and dialed.

"Dude... What _time _is it?" Wally groaned at him.

"Sorry for the late call, but I need to borrow your brain, Wally. Mine's not working right," Dick said.

"Can't you borrow it in the morning, after I've gotten some sleep and eaten breakfast?" Wally asked.

"_Please, _Wally... I"m kind of overwhelmed here."

Wally paused. "Overwhelmed? Not just whelmed?"

"I'm so far past whelmed it's not even funny."

Wally sighed. "Okay. Just give me a second to get dressed." He hung up.

Dick raced downstairs. "Alfred, I know it's late, but can you whip up a snack? Wally's on his-" he began. A flash of light sped by and stopped outside of the door. "Way over," Dick finished.

"Of course, Young Master Dick," Alfred replied. He opened the door for Wally. "Good morning," he said before heading to make them a snack.

"Thanks for coming, Buddy," Dick said.

Wally yawned. "No problem. What's got you freaking out?" He asked.

"Come on," Dick said, leading him to his room. When they got there, Dick showed him everything he'd found.

"Isn't that _your_ birthday, too?" Wally asked.

"Yeah... And then, there's _this," _Dick said. He pulled out his necklace.

"Wait a second... That looks just like the one Joey's wearing in this picture," Wally said.

"Exactly."

"Dude... _I'm_ way past whelmed, too," Wally admitted. "She's your sister! I mean, she _has _to be, right?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me I was crazy."

"You _are. _But not about this... We need DNA, Dick. We've got to find proof before we just spring this on her... Because if she's actually your long-lost sister, I'm betting your parents didn't just abandon her... Especially if Lex Luthor's involved."

Dick frowned. He began typing. "What is it?" Wally asked.

"I have to know..." Dick replied. He was looking at birth records, searching for the last name Grayson from the day he was born. He found his birth certificate... And another. "This doesn't make any sense," he mumbled.

Wally read the document over his shoulder. "Baby Girl Grayson... Stillborn? But..." He frowned.

"They lied to my parents," Dick said softly. "But my parents never told me... _How _could they hide her from me?"

"Dick, you were really young when you lost them," Wally said gently. "Maybe they were waiting until you got a little older, so you could understand."

"Right... No big then. Consider me whelmed." That was the biggest lie he'd ever told.

"Dick-" Wally protested.

"It's fine, Wal. We'll get her DNA somehow in the morning and sort this all out."

Alfred knocked on the door. Dick opened it to reveal him holding more food than Dick could eat in a week... Or, a _light snack _in Wally's case. Wally's eyes lit up. "Alfred, you're the _man!" _He declared before diving into the food.

"Thanks, Alfred," Dick said.

"Is everything alright, Master Dick?" Alfred asked.

"I'm okay," Dick lied. Alfred didn't push him. Dick closed the door and joined Wally while there was still some food left.

_**JOEY **_

The night had been filled with strange dreams. Joey woke up eager to get out of the house just so she wouldn't have to have anymore of them. She hurried to school and took her seat in English class.

Right behind her, Wally and Dick rushed in. "On time! Yes!" Wally declared.

"Are you alright, Dick? You look a bit green," Barbara observed.

Dick gave her a thumbs up. "Wally just upset my stomach," he replied.

"Breaking the sound barrier will do that to some people," Wally said casually. Dick shot him a warning glance. "I mean... I let Uncle Barry drive us, and you know him... He _loves _to speed."

"Mr. Allen got here over an hour ago," Artemis said with a suspicious frown. "You know I come in with _my _uncle every day, so I was already here. Why are you lying?"

Wally looked at Dick for help. "We decided to actually take the subway," Dick said smoothly. "Wally insisted I _had _to if I was going to make up stories about it. I guess the ride upset my stomach."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Principal Wayne will murder you if he finds out," she said with a laugh.

There was no reason not to believe Dick, but Joey had a feeling he was lying. She wondered what the boys had _really _been up to.

Class began, ending their conversation. It wasn't until the end of the period that Joey felt something yank a few strands of her hair out hard. "Ouch!" She cried out. She hadn't seen anything, but she swore Wally had moved slightly.

Dick glared at Wally. "Are you okay?" He asked Joey.

"Yeah... Someone yanked my hair out," Joey explained.

"I didn't see anything," Artemis said quickly. "It must have gotten caught on something."

"Yeah... I guess so," Joey said uncertainly. She felt like she was missing something.

"Come on, Joey. I'll walk you to your next class," Barbara offered. She led Joey away from everyone else.

_**ARTEMIS**_

She had seen the flash of light. It was nearly imperceptible, but Artemis knew Wally had moved. For some reason, he'd pulled out some of Joey's hair. Wally hadn't realized that Artemis knew he was Kid Flash, and she intended to keep it that way. After all, she didn't want him figuring out who _she _really was. Oliver Queen might have taken her under his wing, but she wasn't his niece. In fact, she was the daughter of two super villains. As far as her friends were concerned, however, Artemis was just a regular girl with a talent for archery. That was exactly how she wanted to keep it.

She followed Wally and Dick as they snuck away to one of the science labs. "Come on, let's get this sample bagged before it gets contaminated," Wally said. He placed Joey's hair into a bag.

"What the fuck are those two up to?" Artemis wondered aloud. She watched as Wally pulled out a bunch of scientific stuff. It looked like he was running some sort of test...

"Okay. Now I need _your _sample," Wally said.

"Just make it quick," Dick said.

"Dude, this is _me _you're talking to," Wally said with a laugh. He used his super speed and ripped out some of Dick's hair.

"Ow! Damnit, Wally! There are _scissors _on the counter! " Dick protested.

"You said to make it quick. This was faster." Wally smirked at him. "Okay... Now, we load both samples into my machine here and... _Science!" _

"How long will this take?" Dick asked as Wally loaded the samples.

"With _my _tech? About sixty seconds."

"It's _Barry's _tech," Dick reminded him.

"And it's done, so quit your semantics." Wally examined the results. "Holy shit..." He mumbled.

"What is it, Wal? What do the results say?" Dick asked.

"Either this girl's your long-lost twin, or... Well, there _is _no or. The results confirm it, Dick... Joey's your sister."

Artemis covered her mouth before she could audibly gasp and expose herself. _Joey is Dick's _sister? She thought. _How is that even possible? And what does it mean for us? _She sighed, slipping away before either of the boys could notice she'd been watching them.

_**WALLY**_

He barely caught Dick before he hit the floor. Exhaustion and stress had won out. Wally searched through his uncle's stash of emergency snacks in the lab and found some crackers, along with a bottle of water. He grabbed a little sulfur and put it near Dick's nose.

"Ugh! Gross..." Dick mumbled as he came around. He swatted the sulfur away.

"Sorry. It's a strong scent... Are you okay?" Wally asked, passing the crackers and water toward Dick.

"Yeah, sure," Dick said. "I _always _am." He started nibbling on the crackers.

"Dick, you fainted-"

"I'm just tired. My body needs sleep. You carrying me and running from the Manor to class in under ninety seconds probably didn't help."

"We were running _really_ late."

"I'd rather be late," Dick said with a slight laugh. He sighed, drinking some water. "I'm okay, Wal... I just don't know how I'm supposed to tell this girl she's my sister."

"Maybe you shouldn't. I mean... She was raised by Lex Luthor, Dick... She could be evil."

"She's my _twin sister, _Wally. My _only _living blood relative... I thought I lost them all, but she's here... She's alive..."

"I know, Buddy... But that doesn't mean Luthor didn't brainwash her. I'm just saying that maybe it's time we slow down and call in Bruce and my uncle."

"_You're _telling _me _to slow down?" Dick laughed. "She's my _family, _Wally."

"I know, but so is Bruce and-"

"It's not the same," Dick said sharply.

Wally sighed. "I know, Dick. I know how much you miss them... But Bruce has raised you for the last several years, and right now, you need his help."

"Maybe you're right..." Dick shook his head. "It's fine. I can deal with this. I'm totally whelmed... Feeling the aster... I mean, I've got a sister, right? That's _good _news! Everything's great."

Wally was pretty sure Dick was just trying to convince himself of that, but he let it go. His best friend needed to process this in his own way.

_**BILLY**_

Sleep hadn't really been an option for Billy Batson the night before. A couple of jerks had chased him out of the homeless shelter where he lived with his elderly uncle and he'd curled up in his favorite alley to try to sleep instead... The same alley where he'd first been given his powers as Captain Marvel two years earlier. He normally slept like a baby in that alley, but he'd heard a struggle. Billy had quickly shouted, "_Shazam_!" Then he'd turned into Captain Marvel and saved the woman who'd been getting mugged. After that, he'd been too restless to sleep, so he'd done some more small but heroic tasks before again saying "_Shazam!" _That had turned him back into a teenager just in time for school.

Billy might be homeless, but no one knew that except for Principal Wayne, Assistant Principal Prince, and Miss Lance. At twelve, Billy had been too smart for his age, so he'd skipped from seventh to ninth grade and been enrolled in the high school. He'd been a bit shy at first, but Barbara Gordon had taken him under her wing a few weeks into their freshman year. Because of this, Barbara's friends had all basically adopted Billy, and he'd been hanging out with them ever since. He might be two years younger than the rest of them, but they treated him like part of the gang and had dubbed him their unofficial little brother.

Billy was still thinking about the night before as he drifted off to sleep in the library. He didn't realize he was talking in his sleep until he mumbled, "_Shazam_..." Suddenly, he transformed into Cap.

_Oh crap! _Billy thought. He jumped up before anyone wandered into that part of the library and hid behind a bookcase.

He was pretty sure he was safe until a voice asked, "Captain Marvel?"

Billy groaned and turned around to face Principal Wayne. "Bruce... Uh, hi!" Billy said awkwardly.

"What are you _doing _here, Captain Marvel?" Principal Wayne asked.

"I... Um..." Billy took a deep breath as he searched for an answer. "I was just checking to make sure the children were safe. You can never be too careful!"

"I didn't see you come in. In fact, the cameras didn't pick you up, either. Can you explain that to me?"

"Not very well..." Billy mumbled. He was doomed.

"Do you know what I _did _see?"

"What?"

"I saw a student, asleep at a table... And then he was gone, and _you _were here. So let's try honesty for a minute... _Billy." _

Billy's eyes went wide. "Oh man..."

"Let's start with this... Can you transform back? I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to see you like this."

Billy took a deep breath. _"Shazam!" _He cried out. Suddenly, he was fourteen again.

Bruce shook his head. "Impressive," he finally said.

"Thanks," Billy replied.

"Captain Marvel has been around for two years, but I never suspected he was just a boy... How did you get these powers, Billy?"

"This wizard guy found me one night, sleeping in an alley... He gave me the powers. I don't usually slip up like I did today, but sometimes I talk in my sleep."

"We're going to need to discuss how to proceed... Come with me to my office, where we can be alone. I'll destroy the camera footage. We will keep this between the two of us for now."

"So I'm not in trouble?"

"Captain Marvel routinely saves the city. He's helped the Justice League on numerous occasions. Your situation is unique, but it doesn't change your history. I still trust you to protect Gotham, Billy. I just realize now that it's a little bit _complicated." _Bruce motioned for Billy to follow him. They arrived at his office a couple of minutes later. "Have a seat, Billy."

Billy nervously sat down and waited for Bruce to speak again. "I suspect trouble is coming," Bruce began. "Now that I know you're a teenager, I want you to tell me if you hear any relevant chatter among the students. Also, I have a mission for you."

"A mission?" Billy was excited now.

"As Captain Marvel, you have a strong knowledge of mythology. We happen to be in need of someone to teach our elective Mythology class at the school. The last teacher quit rather suddenly. If you take the position, you'll have faculty access to every area of this building, which is good in case of an emergency."

"Hold on... You want me to _teach?" _

"Instead of going to study hall, yes. You're much less likely to fall asleep in class if you're teaching it, and this gives your adult form an excuse to be on school grounds. I will supply you with an appropriate wardrobe."

"You're serious?"

"It's either this, or you become a janitor. I figured you would prefer to be a teacher."

"You're right... Okay, sure. I'll do it... Hey, do I get paid for this?"

"Legally, I am required to pay you. I'll also set up a proper residence for you and your uncle. It's time we get you out of the shelter."

Billy stared at Bruce in shock. "You... You'll really do that for us?"

"You're a good kid, Billy. I've liked you since the day I met you. I can afford to give back, so I do it whenever I can. I'll just tell your uncle I wanted to help one of my best students." He stood, and Billy followed his lead and got on his feet as well.

Billy was feeling emotions he couldn't even identify. He'd been homeless for most of his life because his uncle was physically unable to work and his parents were dead. They got by okay, but the idea of having a home again was incredible. Before he stopped to think, Billy flung his arms around Bruce in a hug.

Bruce stiffened, but eventually patted Billy on the back of his shoulder. "It's alright, Billy," he said awkwardly.

Billy released Bruce and composed himself as the bell rang. "I have to get to fourth period," he said.

"Come by my office before first period tomorrow and I'll give you your lesson plan and clothing," Bruce said. He opened the door to his office and sent Billy on his way.

"Wow... Did that _really _just happen?" Billy wondered aloud. It was turning out to be a hell of a day.

_**JOEY**_

Joey walked into the cafeteria and sat down with her new friends. Barbara greeted her warmly. Artemis gave her a funny look, almost like she was searching her features for something, but she talked to her like nothing was going on. Billy rushed over and grinned at her before examining his lunch and grimacing.

Wally and Dick came in together. "Hey, guys," Joey said with a friendly smile.

"Hey yourself," Wally replied cheerfully.

"I think you're my long-lost twin sister!" Dick blurted out.

"Smooth, Bro. _Really," _Wally said, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Joey asked. She didn't get the joke. That was a really odd thing to say.

"I know this sounds crazy, but I sort of had Wally run a DNA test on you and-" Dick began.

"You did _what?!"_

"I'm sorry... I googled you and realized we had the same birthday, and I just _had _to know-"

"This isn't funny, Dick."

"It's not a joke. I'm serious."

"Man, I wish I had some popcorn for this," Artemis mumbled.

"Ask and you shall receive, Babe!" Wally pulled out a bag of popcorn from his endless supply of snacks.

"Thanks," Artemis said, standing up and leaning over to take the bag. Then she whacked the back of his head. "And _don't _call me 'babe,' Asshole." She sat back down and began munching away, casually offering some to Barbara and Billy. Everyone was watching Dick and Joey now, waiting to see what happened next.

"My parents abandoned me the day I was born, Dick. I'm not your sister, and if I am, then no offense, but I don't want to know anything about them," Joey said.

"Joey, please... I'm not crazy. Not this time," Dick said. "Wally's test proved it."

"I don't know how Wally managed to rip out my hair without moving, but I don't appreciate it. I'm not some lab rat you can run tests on. If you suspected something was up, you should have _talked _to me. None of this is okay, and you're wrong anyway." She stood up, throwing her lunch in the trash. "I'm out of here." She walked away before Dick could say anything else.

It couldn't be true... _Could _it? Did she have a twin? Was the rest of her family dead? Why would her parents only throw _her _away like trash? Was something wrong with her? How could they only keep one of their children?

_Stop it, Joey, _she told herself. _He's wrong. The birthday thing is just a coincidence. _She ignored the unethical DNA test. It didn't matter. Dick was delusional. She wasn't his sister. She didn't have a twin. She'd go home and talk to her dad later and sort all of this out.

_**BARBARA**_

She couldn't believe what had just happened. "That could have gone worse..." Wally said to break the awkward silence.

"That was a _disaster," _Dick said with a sigh. "I'm an _idiot! _What did I think? That she'd just be like, 'Oh, you're my brother? That's awesome. I'm totally whelmed.' I mean, she was clearly _anything _but whelmed..." He kept rambling.

Barbara put her hand gently on top of Dick's. "It's okay, Dick," she said soothingly. "I think she just needs time to process this... Are you guys _sure _she's your sister?"

"DNA doesn't lie," Wally said. "It was a match. There's no way she's not his sister."

"You were an ass to run that test without talking to her," Artemis said.

"You're right," Dick said with a sigh. "I just freaked out and reacted without stopping to think."

"You're a boy. Boys are dumb."

"Hey!" Billy protested.

"You have your dumb moments, too, Kid," Artemis informed him. "The point is, you made a real mess here, Dick. So how are you going to clean it up?"

"I don't know," Dick admitted. "I need to tell Bruce. I mean, there are legal issues at play here. If Luthor kidnapped her-"

"Why would Lex Luthor kidnap a baby?" Barbara asked.

"I don't know, but my parents would _never _have abandoned one of their kids, so she _must _have been kidnapped."

"Someone else could have kidnapped her. Luthor might not be involved," Billy pointed out.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," Barbara promised. She hated seeing Dick upset. "I'll talk to my dad and see if he knows anything." Her father was the Commissioner. He knew _everything _that went on in his city.

"Thanks, Barbara," Dick said. He sighed. "Joey's probably never going to speak to me again."

"I'm sure she'll give you a second chance," Barbara said soothingly. "She's in shock, but you're still her brother. Eventually, she'll be too curious about you to ignore that. Just give her a little time, Dick. She'll come around." She squeezed his hand encouragingly.

Dick smiled at her, melting her heart. Barbara had been in love with Dick since their freshman year. Everyone else seemed to realize it, but Dick was ridiculously oblivious. Maybe one day he'd notice the way Barbara looked at him, and if she was lucky, he'd return her feelings. Until then, she was happy just to be his friend. Having him in her life was all that mattered. Being around him made Barbara happy.

The bell rang. "Come on, Guys," Barbara said. "It's time to get to class."

_**JOKER**_

It was fun having a toy. The Joker had been drawn to little Harleen Quinzel as soon as he saw her. She'd watched him with obvious interest, and he knew she'd quickly developed a crush on him.

Now, Harley sat beside him looking over some homework the other students had turned in. She was a cute little thing, with her blonde hair and tight clothes. He liked her body, and her smile was dazzling. He leaned in closer to her, gently brushing some of the hair out of her face.

Harley smiled at him shyly. "Thanks, Mr. J," she said.

He watched her carefully, thinking deliciously bad thoughts. _Oh, the things I'm going to do to this one, _he thought with a wicked grin. The fantasies were almost too much to bear, but it was too soon. He needed to be patient. The timing had to be perfect before he took things where he wanted them to go. He knew only one thing... Harley was already his, and soon, he'd take full advantage of that.

_**LEX**_

When Joey arrived home from school, she was clearly distraught. "Dad... What do you know about my birth family?" She asked.

Lex was startled, but he covered it quickly. "You know as much as I do, Joanna," he replied. "They abandoned you, and I found you lying in the street, helpless. I rescued you and couldn't bear to let you go, so I legally adopted you. The police never located your family. No one in the area reported a missing child, and there was no record of you being born." He paused. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," she replied too quickly. "I love you, Dad." She kissed his cheek before rushing off to her bedroom.

Lex sighed. _She suspects, _he thought. Somehow, someone must have tipped her off to the truth. Lex needed to get ahead of this before he lost her.

"Maybe it's time," he said aloud. He had big plans for his little girl. It might be time to put them into action. He dialed a phone number and waited for someone to answer.

"Adam... I need your assistance," Lex began.

"Of course," the entity known as Black Adam replied. "What do you require?"

"Be on standby. My daughter may be growing suspicious. It may be time to begin her training, and set our plan in motion."

"I await your next call." Black Adam hung up without saying goodbye.

"People have _no _manners these days," Lex mumbled. It didn't matter. The likes of BlackAdam and the Joker were not his friends... They were simply business partners working toward a common goal. He didn't have to _like _them in order to work with them.

Lex knocked on Joanna's door. "How about steak for dinner, Joey?" He asked, using her preferred nickname to earn back any trust he'd lost.

Joey stuck her head out of her bedroom. "I could actually go for some pizza," she replied.

Lex laughed. "Okay, pizza it is. You pick the toppings."

Now Joey smiled at him. "Pepperoni and extra cheese?" She asked.

"Whatever you like, sweetheart. I'll order it now." Lex walked away to order the pizza, relieved that Joey seemed calm again. _Everything will be fine, _he told himself. He just needed to stay calm and think clearly and things would work out exactly as he'd planned.


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE: Undercover**_

_**ARTHUR**_

The students in this class weren't very bright. Arthur Curry sighed as another one screwed up a dive. He turned away in boredom.

"Um... Mr. Curry, Sir... I believe James may be drowning," Kaldur said.

"That's the best way to learn," Arthur said with a laugh.

"Sir... Perhaps I should offer him some help?"

Arthur rolled his eyes as the student flailed wildly. "Fine... Fish him out if you must."

Kaldur dove into the water and dutifully pulled the drowning boy out. After the kid spit up half the pool, Arthur stopped paying attention to him. Instead, he watched the new boy in his class, who stared at the water with a frown.

"It's not gonna bite you, Kid," Arthur said. "Get in."

The boy scowled at him. "I can't swim," he finally said.

"Then _learn, _Kid. That's why you're here."

"Then _teach, _Mr. Curry," the boy retorted.

Kaldur looked horrified. Arthur started chuckling before bursting into a full and hearty laugh. "Touche, Kid. What's your name again?"

The boy frowned again. "Conner," he said after a minute.

"Right. Conner. Come on, get in the shallow end and we'll go over the basics."

Conner shrugged and did as he was told. He tested the water with his big toe before stepping in fully. The water was barely up to the bottom of his chest. "Walk a bit, until the water covers your upper body more," Arthur said. This boy was tall. He looked oddly familiar, too. "What was your last name again?" He asked.

"Kent," Conner replied as he reached slightly deeper water.

"Kent... Any relation to the English teacher?"

Conner stiffened. "No," he said in a way that told him he had a lot of hatred for a man he claimed not to be related to. Arthur and Kaldur exchanged a glance. They were clearly thinking the same thing.

_He _looks _like Clark, _he thought. _He's built like him, too... He could be his kid. _

Arthur filed the thought away for later. He could always ask Superman if he and his wife, Lois Lane, were hiding something from the world. If not, he'd look into exactly where Conner had come from. For now, he just needed to teach the kid to swim.

_**JOEY**_

She'd intentionally skipped her first class. She wasn't ready to face Dick or the others yet. Now, Joey sat in her second period science class with Mr. Allen. She liked him. He was obviously brilliant, but he was also kind of awkward and goofy. It made him very approachable because he wasn't even slightly intimidating.

A girl Joey didn't recognize entered the classroom. "Hi, Mr. Allen," she said sweetly. She held out her program card. "I'm Megan... I'm new."

"Another new student?" Mr. Allen asked with a smile. "Well, it's great to meet you, Megan. Take a seat."

Megan smiled brightly before heading straight toward Joey. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "I'm Megan. Do you mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," Joey replied. "I'm Joey."

Megan sat beside her and began pulling out a pink notebook and a pen. "So, you're new? Me, too," Joey said.

"Oh? Where are you from?" Megan asked.

"Here in Gotham... My dad had me home schooled until a few days ago. He finally caved and gave in to me begging him to let me go to school with other kids. Where are _you _from?"

"Oh, I just moved here from... Really far away," Megan said.

"How far?" Joey asked, finding her response a bit strange.

"Oh, um... Canada. Yep, I'm a Canadian exchange student."

"I didn't think Canadian students were considered exchange students... _Aimez-vous Gotham?" _

"I'm sorry?"

Joey frowned. "It's French for 'Do you like Gotham?' I studied several languages growing up. I figured you might speak French, being from _Canada_ and all."

Megan laughed nervously. Then, she paused for a minute before she replied, _"Oui, bien sur! Gotham est magnifique!" _

"So you _do _speak French?"

"Of course I do... I'm just nervous and didn't expect _you _to speak French."

That was a reasonable enough explanation. Joey decided she had no reason to be so suspicious of Megan. After all, she'd been nervous about being new herself just a couple of days earlier. _Don't be a jerk to her just because Dick freaked you out, _she scolded herself. Her father had raised her to have better manners than that.

Suddenly, a soaking wet boy entered the classroom. He was seriously muscular, and Joey noticed the way Megan stared at him with obvious interest. "Is this physics?" The boy asked.

"Don't tell me... You're new?" Mr. Allen guessed. "You'd think Principal Wayne would tell me before just adding so many kids to my roster. Well, the more the merrier! What's your name?"

"Conner."

"Have a seat, Conner."

Conner sat on Megan's other side. She let out an excited squeak when she realized he was heading for that desk, but calmed down slightly by the time he reached it. "Hi," Megan said shyly.

"Yeah, hi," Conner said, barely acknowledging her.

"I'm Megan, and that's Joey," Megan continued, keeping up her friendly exterior even though Conner could clearly care less.

He didn't reply. Instead, he sat at his desk staring straight ahead.

_What's _his _deal? _Joey wondered. Megan didn't seem to notice how rude Conner was actually being.

Mr. Allen's physics lesson was entertaining enough that nearly everyone paid attention. Joey noticed that even when everyone else was laughing, Conner continued to scowl. _Does that boy _ever _smile? _She wondered. Apparently, Megan liked them angsty, because she kept stealing glances at Conner and watching him with a dreamy expression on her face.

When the bell rang, Joey walked Megan to her next class. "So, you seemed pretty interested in Conner," Joey teased her.

Megan looked embarrassed. "Was it _that _obvious?" She asked.

"To me, yeah... But probably not to him."

"Thank goodness! It's just... He's _really _cute."

"He's not bad to look at," Joey admitted. "He's not my type, though."

"Who _is?" _Megan looked ready to hear some good gossip. Of the girls she'd gotten to know at school so far, Megan definitely acted the most like a normal, bubbly teenage girl. It was kind of refreshing.

"No one in particular... Conner just seems to take everything so _seriously. _I prefer someone who knows how to laugh."

"Maybe he's just shy."

Shy wasn't a word Conner brought to mind, but Joey didn't want to hurt Megan's feelings. "Maybe," she agreed. "I have to get to my next class. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure," Megan replied cheerfully. Joey headed off, glad she had at least one friend who hadn't witnessed the craziness of the previous day.

_**MEGAN**_

Halfway through her math class, she was called to the Principal's Office. Megan sat in a chair nervously chewing her bottom lip.

"Did you find anything out, M'gann?" Principal Wayne, better known as Batman, asked.

"Not much, yet..." Megan admitted. "I'm sorry, Batman. Joey's harder to read than I anticipated. I can look deeper into her mind, but I need a little time to earn her trust... I don't want to hurt her by pushing too hard."

"It's alright, M'gann. Just do your best. Your uncle has complete faith in you, and I trust his opinion."

"She seems like a really nice girl... But she's suspicious of me. She tested me to see if I spoke French. I had to pull the knowledge out of her mind to cover for claiming to be Canadian."

The door to the office opened. Megan tensed, but relaxed when she realized it was Wonder Woman. "Bruce! Did you _really _bring in Martian Manhunter's niece to spy on that poor girl?" She asked. "What happened to giving Joey a _chance?" _

"I _am _giving her a chance. I just asked M'gann to stay close to the girl until we're sure she can be trusted. M'gann is a telepath. She'll detect trouble if there is any."

"That's _not _giving her a chance."

"She's receiving the same educational opportunities as everyone else here, but I can't risk her being a threat to the other students. I'm just taking precautions, Diana."

"You're being paranoid, Bruce. I understand being cautious, but spying on her thoughts is a bit much." Wonder Woman sighed. "Of course, it is nice to have you here, M'gann. I hope you're adjusting well?"

"Oh, yes, I love it here," Megan promised. "The students and classes are wonderful."

"Enjoy it. This is a unique opportunity for you, and I want you to take full advantage of it. I believe that _every _girl deserves a full education, regardless of ethnicity, social class, or planet of origin." She smiled at Megan encouragingly.

"Thank you, Wonder Woman. I definitely won't waste this opportunity," Megan said. She was honestly thrilled to be attending school on Earth. All Megan had ever wanted was the chance to live on Earth and experience high school. Working undercover to protect everyone seemed like a really small price to pay in exchange for the chance to live her dream.

_**DICK**_

The usual gang had gathered at their lunch table. Dick was worried. Joey hadn't been in English, and now she wasn't at lunch. Had she skipped school, or had something happened to her?

Joey walked in and Dick felt relieved as he returned to whelmed status. She didn't come over to them, however. Instead, she sat down with a girl Dick didn't know. "Who the heck is that?" He demanded.

"That's Megan," Wally replied with a grin. "Cute little thing, isn't she?" Artemis whacked the back of his head. "Ouch!" Wally protested. "What was _that _for?"

"Stop objectifying girls!" Artemis said harshly. Dick thought she looked a little jealous, but that made no sense. Artemis was _so _not into Wally... Right?

Megan laughed and Joey started laughing, too. She was completely focused on her new friend, refusing to so much as glance Dick's way.

"She won't even _look _at me," Dick said with a sigh.

"At _us, _actually," Billy pointed out. "I'm sure she'll come around eventually," he added cheerfully.

Dick was back to feeling pretty far from whelmed. He tried not to let Depression get to him too often, but it was definitely trying to control him now. "I need to talk to Bruce," he finally decided aloud. He stood and said, "I'll see you guys later." He was about to throw out his lunch.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Wally asked.

Dick passed the tray to him. "Enjoy, Buddy," he said before heading to Bruce's office.

"Dick? Is everything alright?" Bruce asked, looking up as Dick closed the door to his office.

"I'm definitely not feeling the aster," Dick replied with a sigh. "Bruce... Can we talk?"

"Of course. What's wrong?"

Dick began pacing back and forth. "I figured something out, and it's major, and I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Start by talking."

"The new girl... Joey Luthor... I think she's... No, I _know _she's related to me. I had Wally run a DNA test to prove it. Bruce, she's... She's my _sister." _

Bruce frowned, then turned unreadable. "You're _certain _of this?"

"Yes. Her records say she was abandoned, but I looked into birth records... I had a twin, Bruce... The records claim she was stillborn, but I think the hospital lied to my parents. I think someone kidnapped her... And my money is on Lex Luthor."

"Dick... If there's any truth to that, we must proceed cautiously."

"I already told her... I sort of blurted it out yesterday, and she hasn't spoken to me since. I'm sorry, Bruce. I know I should have come to you, but I was in shock, and... And..."

"Dick... It's alright," Bruce said kindly. "I know how much your family meant to you. I'll look into the events which occurred the day you both were born and I'll try to sort this out. In the meantime, I have an operative enrolled in the school to keep an eye on Joey."

"An operative? You mean-"

"Megan Morse is actually M'gann M'orzz, Martian Manhunter's niece. She's also known as Miss Martian. You _must _keep her identity a secret, Dick."

"Can I tell Wally?"

"I haven't even had a chance to tell Barry, and she's in one of his classes. I'll speak to him later today, and _then _you may tell Wally... But only if he vows to keep it a secret."

"Understood... Why did you bring M'gann in to watch Joey? It's not like you knew she was my sister."

"I knew she was Lex Luthor's daughter. I had to be certain the other students were safe."

"Joey won't hurt anyone, Bruce. I don't think she knows anything about what Lex _really _does."

"I wasn't willing to take any chances. M'gann is here to observe, and to alert me to any problems. I'm giving Joey a chance to prove we can trust her, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to take certain precautions."

"I understand..." Dick sighed. "Bruce, I really messed up with her. She's my only living blood relative and she won't talk to me."

"She's probably as shocked and confused as _you _are, Dick. You sprung that on her with no evidence except a DNA test I'm guessing you didn't get permission to run. She'll need more than that to convince her. For now, just give her some space."

"It's hard... I just found her, you know?"

"I know. I promise I will help the two of you through this, but first, I need to find some answers." Bruce paused. "Will you be alright, Dick?"

"I'm whelmed," Dick promised. He did feel slightly better now. If anyone could fix this mess, it was Batman.

"Good. Go on and get to your next class. I'll touch base with you again tonight at home."

"Thanks, Bruce." Dick left the office hoping things would get better soon.

_**BARRY**_

He hated being summoned to the Principal's Office, even if he was a teacher. It always made him nervous. Barry sat down in a chair and waited for Bruce to arrive. He was surprised when other people walked in.

Several familiar faces joined Barry before Bruce finally showed himself. "Superman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Black Canary, and Captain Marvel... So this is obviously Justice League related," Barry observed.

"Indeed it is," Bruce replied stoically. "We have a situation. Some of you may have met Joanna Luthor. As you probably suspected, Joey is Lex Luthor's daughter. This was troubling, so I brought in Miss Martian, the niece of Martian Manhunter, to keep an eye on the girl. She's enrolled here under the name Megan Morse."

Barry nodded. That explained who the newest girl in school was.

"Bruce, I hardly think that warrants an emergency meeting," Wonder Woman objected. "The girl has done nothing wrong."

"Things have become more complicated, Diana. I have received intel from Robin that this girl may have actually been abducted at birth. I need to know exactly how she ended up in Luthor's clutches."

"How do you plan on figuring that out?" Green Arrow, better known as the business ethics teacher, Oliver Queen, asked.

"I could run back in time and take a quick peak," Barry offered.

"And risk fucking up the time line again? I'm thinking that's a bad idea," Arthur Curry, or Aquaman, protested with a snarky laugh.

"Create a paradox _one time _and they never let you live it down..." Barry mumbled.

"Arthur is right. It's too big a risk," Bruce said firmly. "I need research, and someone to speak to the people who were there."

"Perhaps Commissioner Gordon can offer some insight?" Diana suggested.

"Yes, I believe he is a good person to start with," Bruce agreed.

"I can talk to Joey and see if she opens up," Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, offered.

"Luthor is bad news, but Joey seems like a nice girl," Clark Kent, or Superman, added. "I haven't seen anything to suggest she's involved in Luthor's darker activities."

"Speaking of new kids, what's with not telling us you have a kid, Superman?" Arthur asked.

"Excuse me?" Clark asked.

"The new boy, Kent. He looks just like you. No way he's not related."

Bruce frowned. "There are only two new students I've enrolled here, Arthur... Joanna Luthor and M'gann, both of whom are female."

"Conner Kent. Look, he's on my roster," Arthur said, pulling it out of his pocket.

"Conner's in my class, too," Barry chimed in. "He started today."

"Diana? Dinah? Do you know this boy?" Bruce asked.

"I have no knowledge of him," Diana said with a frown.

"I found his file on my desk this morning and gave him his program card," Dinah said. "I assumed you both approved his enrollment. Everything seemed to be in order."

"And his name is Kent?" Bruce asked.

"Conner Kent, yes... Actually, he _does _resemble you quite a bit, Clark." Dinah frowned. "I should have put that together, but we barely spoke. He's very quiet."

"You didn't know about your son?" Captain Marvel asked Clark.

"I _don't_ have a son," Clark said firmly. "Why are you here, Captain Marvel? You're not a teacher."

"I asked Captain Marvel to teach a mythology class," Bruce said quickly. "His cover identity is Shaz Marvel. It gives him access to the school in case of an emergency. Now, about the boy-"

"Something else must be going on here. I definitely don't know anything about the boy," Clark insisted.

"We'll look into that, too," Bruce said. "For now, we must be very careful how we proceed... I will handle speaking with Commissioner Gordon. Aquaman, Arrow, Canary, see what you can dig up on Conner. Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash, Captain Marvel, stay on Joey. And I do not want the girl harmed."

"That's a change. You seemed dead-set against her before," Diana said.

"It's become... _Complicated_. I'll explain when I know more."

"Shouldn't Superman be looking into Conner?" Barry asked.

"Superman's knowledge of Lex Luthor will be valuable as we deal with this Joey situation. _That_ is where he is needed," Bruce said.

_And he's worried that there's more to it and Superman's going to freak out, _Barry realized. "Good call," he said.

Everyone accepted their missions. The others left, but Bruce grabbed Barry's arm to keep him from exiting the office. "Barry... What are the chances of error in a DNA test?" Bruce asked.

"Well, that depends on the quality of the test sample, whether anything was tainted or tampered with, and the ability of the one running the test," Barry said, surprised by the question.

"The person was your nephew."

"Wally may be goofy, but when it comes to science, he's _very _good at what he does. What's this about, Bruce?"

"Keep this between us..."

"Of course."

"Joanna Luthor may be related to Dick."

"_What?!" _

"According to the test, she's his twin."

"I didn't know Dick _had _a twin."

"Neither did Dick... But she shares his birthday, and there is a record of a supposedly stillborn girl being born to the Graysons that day. If she _is _his sister..."

"Why does Luthor have her?"

"And, more importantly, what has he raised her to become? If Dick is in danger, the girl must be handled..."

"Bruce, if you do anything to hurt her and she _is _Dick's twin, you may not be able to repair your relationship with him."

"I know... But protecting that boy is more important than whether or not he's mad at me."

"I'll help however I can."

"Thank you, Barry. I'm trusting you to do just that. Please look over the results and see if Wally's right."

"I will." Barry left the office and headed off to find his nephew.

_**SUPERBOY**_

Superboy arrived back at Project Cadmas. He waited for someone to approach him.

"Were you successful in your mission, Superboy?" Vandal Savage asked.

Superboy didn't know Savage well, but he had been ordered to follow any mission he gave him. "I infiltrated the student body successfully," Superboy responded.

"Excellent. Did you befriend the girl?"

"Not yet... I am still trying to understand how to make friends."

"You're a handsome boy. Smile at her, listen when she speaks, and she will be eager to befriend you."

"She spent her free time with another girl, Megan. I think she likes me, for some reason."

"Good. Get close to Megan and I am sure Joanna will accept you, too. You must protect the girl, Superboy. The others will try to destroy her. She is an important asset to us, and Mr. Luthor has marked her as the highest priority."

"I understand." Mr. Luthor was at the top of the chain of command. Superboy had never met him, but he knew he'd had a big hand in his creation.

"Very well. Go back to your pod and recharge."

"I have, um, _homework, _Sir."

Savage laughed. "Of course, my boy. That is part of being a typical high school boy. The G-gnomes will help you complete it. Then, you must rest."

"Thank you, Sir. I will." Superboy headed to the room they kept his pod in. He sat down and began looking over his assignments. His mind wandered a bit. This had been the very first time he'd been out of Cadmas. The world was... _different _from the way he'd imagined it. He liked the way the sunlight had felt on his skin. He didn't want to go back into his pod, but he knew he had no choice. Superboy _never _had any choices. It was his job to do as he was told, not to question his orders. Still, pretending to be a normal teenage boy had be nice for a little while. He was almost looking forward to going back...

"You're not there to enjoy yourself," he reminded himself. "You have a mission. That is the only thing that matters." The question was, what would happen when his mission was completed? Would they lock him away forever? Would he never get to feel the sun again? He didn't want that... He wanted to live some sort of life outside of Cadmas.

"That's _not _your purpose!" He scolded himself. "You are the Superboy, created to replace the Superman should he perish. Your _only _purpose is to do as you are told."

The problem was that Superboy was no longer sure that was enough for him.

_**BRUCE**_

Commissioner Gordon met Bruce at the usual location. "This is a surprise," Commissioner Gordon said. "_I'm_ usually the one calling _you, _Batman."

Bruce nodded. "I need a favor, Commissioner," he said.

"Of course. Anything for you."

"I need all of the information you have on Lex Luthor's daughter, Joanna. I want every detail from the day she was found, including how she ended up with Luthor."

"What's this about?"

"I can't get into that right now, but I need to know everything the police know about that night. I want the names of everyone involved in the situation. Also, I need you to exhume a grave for me."

"Exhume a grave?" The Commissioner looked alarmed.

"Yes. I have reason to believe you will find the casket empty. It's the grave of a stillborn infant."

"Batman, I can't just dig up a baby's grave!"

"I'm aware. However, the next of kin is a teenager. The rest of the family is dead. The boy will give his consent, I promise."

"May I ask who the boy is?"

"Dick Grayson."

"The boy Bruce Wayne took in?"

"Yes. They are both aware of the situation and have requested assistance. I will have them contact you tomorrow to sign any necessary paperwork."

Commissioner Gordon sighed. "I hope there's a good reason for this."

"There is. I promise I will tell you more when it is necessary to do so."

Commissioner Gordon nodded. "Alright. I'll get you the files, and I will pull together the necessary paperwork for the exhumation. Have them get in touch as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Commissioner."

The Commissioner turned around for a split second. Bruce used that to vanish. He headed home to the manor and found Dick passed out on the couch with a textbook on his chest.

"I fear Master Dick has not slept much this week," Alfred said as he walked into the room. "Hello, Master Bruce. Tea?"

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce replied. "Just give me a couple of minutes."

"Of course, Master Wayne," Alfred said, walking off, presumably to prepare the tea.

Bruce watched Dick for a minute before picking him up carefully like he used to do when he was younger. He carried him up to his room and covered him, brushing some of the hair out of his face before leaving him to rest.

_I hope this doesn't turn out badly, _Bruce thought. Dick had already lost more than a boy ever should. Bruce wasn't sure he could handle finding out he had a twin just to lose her, too. One thing was for sure... If the girl wasn't evil, they needed to get her the hell away from Lex Luthor before it was too late.


	4. Chapter 4

**_CHAPTER FOUR: Just A Little Bit of Magic_**

_**JOEY**_

It had been a week since she'd spoken to Dick or any of the others. Joey was kind of sad about that, even though she'd barely known any of them... They were the first friends her age she'd ever had. It helped that she had Megan and Conner to keep her company, though. Megan continued to be super nice, if a bit too enthusiastic. Conner had an attitude problem, but he'd sort of adopted Joey and, by extension, Megan. They were probably the only people at the school he somewhat tolerated.

Joey watched as one of the girls frowned at a boy who was harassing her. "Get lost, Ashton," she said sharply.

"You're such a weirdo, Zatanna," the boy taunted her. "I mean, what the hell kind of name _is _Zatanna Zatara, anyway?"

She smiled at him a little too sweetly. "You'll find out," she mumbled.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just being a weirdo." She smiled at him again.

Ashton shrugged and walked away. "_Pirt dna llaf no ruoy ecaf,_" Zatanna muttered under her breath. Suddenly, Ashton tripped over absolutely nothing and fell on his face. He wasn't seriously injured, but his pride certainly took a hit as everyone began laughing at him.

"_That_ was strange," Joey commented aloud.

"Not really," Zatanna said with a mysterious shrug.

"I guess it was just instant karma?"

Zatanna smiled at her. "You're new, right?"

"Yeah," Joey admitted. "I'm Joey. Joey Luthor."

"Zatanna Zatara. Pleased to meet you." Zatanna extended her white gloved hand toward her.

Joey shook it. "Aren't gloves a little bit formal for cafeteria food?" She joked lightly.

Zatanna laughed. "You _are_ new. I'm a stage magician. Sometimes, I like to live the gimmick, you know?"

"You really do magic tricks? That's cool. I've never met someone with that hobby before."

"It's more than a hobby, Joey. It's a way of life." A girl who radiated rage and teen angst entered the cafeteria then and Zatanna added, "For some more than others."

"Who's the Goth girl?" Joey asked.

"That's Rachel Roth. She's sort of... Intense."

"Yeah, I noticed that."

"I'd steer clear. There's something not right about that girl."

Joey was sort of drawn to Rachel, but she decided to heed Zatanna's advice. There was something in her tone that told her she was genuinely trying to look out for Joey's best interest.

Megan came running toward her then, dragging Conner behind her. "Joey! I see you've met Zatanna. Isn't she great?" Megan asked.

"How do you guys know each other?" Joey asked.

Megan suddenly looked nervous. "Her uncle is a friend of my father's," Zatanna explained smoothly.

"Yeah," Megan said with an awkward laugh. "They work together sometimes."

"That's cool," Joey said.

"Conner, have you met Zatanna?" Megan asked.

"No," Conner replied. He didn't offer any other response.

Zatanna looked him up and down with mild interest. "Hi, Conner," she said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yeah, sure," Conner said dismissively.

"Wow, Conner, you'd better slow down there. I can barely keep up with all your witty responses!" Zatanna said dryly.

"Whatever." Conner took his lunch tray and began walking away.

"He's just hungry," Megan said quickly.

"Right. I'm sure that's all it is," Zatanna said kindly.

"I'd better go join him... So he's not lonely," Megan added before hurrying after him.

"Could she possibly crush on him any harder?" Zatanna asked, shaking her head. "I don't get it. He seems like a jerk."

"I'm still not sure what Conner's deal is," Joey admitted. "But we get along okay for the most part." She was drawn to Conner, and she wasn't sure why. The more time she spent around him, the more he reminded her of someone, but she couldn't figure out who. He bore a fairly striking resemblance to Mr. Kent, although he swore they weren't related. It was more than that, though... Something else was familiar to her, and for whatever reason, Conner had decided to stay close to Joey. He kept anyone she didn't want around from getting too close, and for that, Joey was grateful.

"You should probably go sit with them," Zatanna said. "I don't mind the company, but if you stay with me, the other students will label you a weirdo, too."

"I'm okay with that," Joey replied. "I'll catch up with Megan and Conner later. No one should have to eat alone." She sat beside Zatanna, earning her a smile from her new friend.

"I like you, Joey," Zatanna said. "You've got guts."

"I don't care what people think. I'll hang out with whomever I please."

"So, what year are you in?"

"I'm a junior. You?"

"Senior. If you ever need a big sister, I've got your back."

Joey smiled at her. "I appreciate that."

Just like that, she'd made another friend. It felt nice knowing there were some friendly faces waiting for her in the high school.

A sudden wave of guilt crashed over her. She'd already _made_ friends, but because one of them had freaked her out and the other had helped him cross a major privacy line, Joey had cut them out. Maybe she'd been too hard on them. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. "Have you been in this school long?" Joey asked.

"Since I was a freshman," Zatanna replied.

"Do you know much about the younger students?"

"Who are you looking for information on?" Zatanna asked with a knowing grin. She was ready to gossip.

"Dick Grayson... Can I trust him?"

Zatanna looked surprised. "Sure. Dick's a nice enough guy. He does stupid things sometimes because he's kind of impulsive, but for the most part, he's harmless. I mean, he had a really rough childhood, so... You know, that shapes people."

"What happened?"

"He didn't tell you? No, I guess he wouldn't. Dick doesn't talk about it much... His whole family died when he was about nine years old. They were trapeze artists, and there was this... _freak accident_ I guess... Dick won't tell anyone the details, but I'm guessing it was pretty horrible. He watched them all die. He was the only one who survived."

Joey's eyes widened in horror. "That's awful!" She said.

"Bruce Wayne... yes, as in our principal... heard about his situation and took him in. There are certainly worse people to adopt a kid, but he's sort of... Well, intense. I'm sure you've noticed."

"Yeah, I have... But is he good to him?"

"Oh, sure. Principal Wayne has tons of money, so Dick will never want for anything, and he's not abusive or anything... He just keeps walls around himself all the time that are a hundred feet tall. I don't know if he lets down his guard around Dick, but it's got to be hard on him to have to deal with that level of intensity all the time."

"So you know Dick pretty well, then?"

"Not really. I mean, I've known the kid for a few years, but we never really hung out. Dick doesn't let people in either. He probably learned that from living with our principal."

"He let _me_ in. He latched on to me right away."

"Then you're a very lucky girl, Joey. It usually takes Dick a long time to trust people. I can probably count the people he fully trusts on one hand. It might just be Principal Wayne and Wally. _Maybe_ Barbara and Artemis. I'm not even sure of that."

"I flipped out on him... He did something stupid, with Wally's help, and I haven't talked to either of them since."

"Wally's a genius, but he's also an idiot. He's not a bad guy, though, and neither is Dick. You should try talking to them... They might surprise you, and I'm sure they feel bad about whatever they did."

Joey sighed. "I've been thinking about talking to them anyway... I feel like I was kind of hard on them, and knowing what Dick's been through... I feel like a creep ignoring him."

"Like I said, Dick does dumb things sometimes, but he means well. Look inside of yourself and figure out if you want to give him another shot. No one can make that decision except for you."

"Thanks, Zatanna. I appreciate the advice."

"What are honorary big sisters for?" She smiled at her. Then, she frowned at something on her lunch tray and mumbled, "_Emoceb etalocohc_." A minute later, she lifted her spoon to her mouth and ate some chocolate pudding.

"I thought they only had vanilla pudding today," Joey said in confusion. She very much preferred chocolate, but she'd settled.

"Nope. In fact, you grabbed chocolate, too," Zatanna said sweetly. "Didn't you realize that?" She coughed, although it sounded like she mumbled something under her breath again.

"What are you talking about?" Joey asked.

"Look down."

Joey glance down at her tray. Sure enough, she had chocolate pudding. "But... I swore it was... How the...?" She mumbled.

"I guess we got lucky," Zatanna said with a grin.

"Yeah... I guess so..." Joey mumbled. She began eating the pudding, happy but extremely confused. "You did _magic, didn't_ you?" Joey asked suddenly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Zatanna said innocently.

"It was some slight-of-hand trick, right? Wow, you're _really_ good! I didn't even notice you were moving."

Zatanna grinned at her. "You caught me," she said. "I figured if I could cheat the system, you should benefit from it, too."

"Thanks. That was cool of you."

"Of course."

They ate the rest of their pudding while engaging in pleasant small talk. Joey was glad she'd decided to talk to Zatanna. She couldn't understand why kids treated her like she was a freak. She seemed pretty awesome to her. Her mood was a lot better now. Joey decided she would give Dick, Wally, Artemis, Barbara, and Billy another chance. They'd been the first people to be friendly to her. She owed them the opportunity to make things right, especially since only two of them had actually done anything to upset her.

_I'll talk to them later,_ she promised herself.

_**MEGAN**_

She sat and watched Conner as he watched Joey from a distance. "Do you like Joey?" Megan finally asked.

Conner seemed confused by her question. "Sure, she's okay," he replied.

"No, I mean... Do you have a crush on her or something?"

"No."

"You just... You keep watching her."

"Do I? My mind just wandered."

"Okay," Megan said. She paused. She could find answers, of course. All she had to do was dig a little deeper into his mind. She took a quick peak, just to see what he was actually thinking about.

_Protect the girl_, Conner thought. _Above all else, keep her safe. You cannot allow yourself to become distracted! The mission must be completed_. He recited this over and over, like a mantra.

_Mission_? Megan thought.

"What?" Conner asked aloud.

"What?" Megan repeated.

"Did you... Did you just say something?"

"Me? Oh, no," Megan said quickly. "Why?"

"I swore I heard... Never mind."

Megan smiled at him brightly until he looked away again. She took a deep breath. _Hello, Megan! You can't think so loudly when you're looking around inside of someone's head. He's not supposed to know you can hear him, remember?_ She scolded herself. She'd nearly blown her cover. Batman was very suspicious of Conner, as was the rest of the Justice League... But Megan couldn't imagine him being a bad guy. He was just... _Conner_. And she _really_ liked him. Still, his thoughts had been troubling. She made a mental note to try to figure out what he might be up to. That was part of her job, after all.

_So is befriending Joey_, Megan thought. She genuinely liked Joey and enjoyed their time together. She'd never really had friends before, and Joey and Conner made her feel like a normal high school girl. She didn't want to lose that, but she knew she had to be careful. Joey definitely didn't seem to be any sort of threat. Her thoughts were really hard to read, but what Megan had picked up wasn't especially alarming. Conner, however, was apparently another story.

_I'm sure he's not a bad person_, Megan told herself. He_ couldn't_ be. Conner had a good heart... She could _feel _it, no matter _what_ his thoughts might be implying.

"Megan? Are you... I mean... Are you okay?" Conner asked awkwardly.

She practically melted. _He cares about whether or not I'm okay?_ She thought with excitement. Then, she remembered she needed to answer him. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she said quickly. "I guess I just have a lot on my mind..."

Conner paused, studying her. "Do you want to get out of here?" He asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Like... Go somewhere... Other than here."

"You mean like skipping class? _Together_?"

"Yeah, I guess I _do_ mean that. I mean, don't you ever want to spend time away from here? Some place where we can just relax and be... Ourselves?"

"I do, actually... But won't we get in trouble?"

"Only if we get caught." He actually smiled at her slightly.

His smile was what did it. "Okay," she said shyly. "I'd like that."

"Come on... Follow me." He took her hand and led her out of the cafeteria quickly. Conner looked both ways before he took off running, dragging her along for the ride. Megan was barely able to keep up as they raced through the halls, trying to avoid the eyes of anyone who would stop them from leaving. Finally, they reached the door, unseen by anyone else. They slipped outside.

"Success!" Megan cheered.

"Shhhh! You're going to give us away!" Conner said harshly.

Megan lowered her face, staring at her feet in embarrassment. Conner seemed to soften. "It's okay," he said, tilting her chin back up with his index finger until she was looking him in the eye. "Let's go."

"_Where _are we going exactly?" Megan asked.

"Anywhere outside... I just... I want to watch the sun."

"Watch the sun?" She repeated.

"Yeah... It's beautiful, isn't it? I like it."

Megan smiled. "I like it, too," she admitted.

They walked several blocks before finally finding a park. "This is perfect," Conner said. "That hill is really high up. Come on." He led her up the hill until they reached the very top. He motioned for her to sit down before he joined her. He stared up at the sun, practically glowing as sunlight surrounded him.

"This is nice," Megan said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm not really allowed to do this sort of thing."

"Why not?"

"They won't let me."

"Who won't? Your family?"

"What? Oh... Yeah. My _family_." He sighed. "Sometimes, I wish I could just do what _I_ wanted to for a change."

"I know what you mean."

"You do?" He looked at her with surprise in his eyes.

"Yeah. I mean... My uncle's great, but staying here with him comes with a lot of... _Responsibilities_. And I don't mind that. Really. But when he figures out what we're doing right now, he's going to flip out on me."

"Who says he has to know?"

"He _always_ figures it out. I guess I just think too loudly." She laughed awkwardly. "Especially when I'm excited."

"No offense, but when _aren't_ you excited?" He teased her.

Megan blushed. "I know you don't know what to do with me. I'm sorry I'm so socially awkward..."

"Megan... You're not so bad," he said softly.

She stared at him. "Really?"

"Really." He put his hand over hers on the grass and squeezed it. He kept his hand lingering there even after he released his grip, and she sort of never wanted him to move it ever again.

_He's not evil_, Megan decided. There had to be some other explanation. She allowed herself to slip back inside of his mind.

_They're going to be furious_, he thought. _But it's worth it. This brief taste of freedom is worth more than whatever they can offer me._ _I wouldn't trade it for anything._

Megan kept her thoughts in her own head as she wondered, _Who is he afraid of? It's like he's being controlled... Maybe that's it! _She looked even deeper.

_They want me to protect Joey... And I will,_ he decided. _But maybe I can be more than their slave..._

Suddenly, his thoughts took a sharp turn. _I am the Superboy, created to replace the Superman should he perish or turn his back on the Light. There is nothing else. That is my mission, my purpose for existing. Even being here is a betrayal. _

"Megan... We should go back," he said.

"We don't _have_ to, Conner," Megan said. She felt a deep sense of sympathy for him now. She understood what he was from his flashes of memory... He was a clone, made from Superman's DNA. She needed to turn him over to the Justice League immediately! But he was _more_ than that. She _knew_ he was.

"Yes. We _do_," he said sharply. She could tell his mind had shifted. He would not be able to fight his orders any longer.

_I'll help you, Superboy_, she thought. It wasn't her mission. In fact, it was probably the _opposite_ of her mission... But Superboy, or Conner, or whoever he really was was connected to Joey and the people the Justice League had to stop from harming the innocent. Didn't that mean protecting him from those people protected everyone else, too?

"Okay," she said patiently. "Let's go back." She took his hand and they walked back to the school together.

_**DICK**_

He was seriously _not _whelmed. He'd been trying for days to figure out how to make things up to Joey, but nothing was working. Bruce had gotten all of the paperwork from Commissioner Gordon, but he hadn't shared any of the information with Dick yet. No one had been able to pinpoint where Conner Kent came from or how he'd ended up enrolled in Gotham High. And although Dick had signed the paperwork to exhume the grave of his twin sister, it hadn't happened yet. Some "concerned citizen" had objected to the exhumation anonymously, demanding the city step in and prevent the "desecration" of the infant's grave.

He was about ten seconds away from giving up all hope of anything good happening. "Damnit!" He cursed. He threw his backpack through the air and it landed impressively far away. He could have flung it further, but he hadn't really been trying.

"Dick?" Someone asked in alarm.

Dick looked up and realized Joey stood before him, his backpack in her hands. "Joey..." He said softly.

"I think you dropped this... Or, _tossed_ it, actually... _Really_ far. What _are _you, a baseball player? You'd make a hell of a pitcher."

"I'm stronger than I look," Dick replied with a shrug. "You're talking to me..." He added softly.

"I am."

"Not that I'm not totally whelmed about this, but... Why the change of heart?"

"I heard about what happened to your family," Joey said softly.

Dick tensed. "Who ran their mouth? Wally? It was Wally, _wasn't _it? It's _always_ Wally."

"No. It wasn't Wally. I haven't talked to any of you since last week."

"Okay... So, you heard... And what?"

"I'm just... I'm really sorry you went through that, Dick... And now I understand why the idea that you might have another family member would be so overwhelming to you... And why you'd jump the gun and be stupid to try and find answers."

"Joey... I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean to freak you out, and I should have talked to you before I just had Wally run a DNA test."

"How reliable is a test run by a kid anyway?"

"Wally's a lot smarter than he acts. He doesn't make mistakes when it comes to science."

"I'd take this more seriously if someone neutral ran the test."

"I could ask his uncle to do it. Mr. Allen doesn't mess around when it comes to science. He'll tell us the truth, not just what any of us may want to hear."

"And if the results aren't what you think they are... Will you let this drop?"

"Okay. I promise I'll let it go if the test results prove you're not actually my sister."

"Good. Then maybe we can be okay, Dick."

He nodded. "Thanks for giving me a chance, Joey. It means a lot."

"Don't screw it up." She smiled at him, then paused. "You seemed upset when you threw your bag, Dick. What's wrong?"

"Everything, basically." He sighed.

"Dramatic much?" She teased him, but he could see the concern in her eyes.

"I'm trying to have the grave exhumed... But someone is trying to prevent it."

"The... Grave? You mean your sister's grave?"

"Yeah. I think it's empty, Joey. And the fact that someone's going out of their way to try to prevent me from finding out is furthering that suspicion."

"Why would someone do that?"

"Because a body may not have been buried in that grave, but a secret seems to have been... And if we exhume the grave and nothing is inside of it, we'll have proof that something is going on." He paused. "There's one other thing, Joey..."

"What is it?" Joey asked.

"There's a picture of you in the police archives from the day you were born... You were wearing a necklace."

"Okay... So?"

Dick took a deep breath. He pulled the necklace out from beneath his shirt. "I have the exact same necklace. My parents gave it to me the day I was born."

Joey looked at him nervously. "That doesn't mean anything... It's a coincidence, Dick."

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "But what if it's not?"

"Let's just go find Mr. Allen. He can settle this once and for all, and then we can let it go and move on, okay?"

"Okay," Dick agreed. "Come on. He's still in his lab." He walked ahead, hoping she would follow. She did, much to his relief.

When they arrived at the lab, Barry smiled at them pleasantly. "Hey, Dick," he said. Then, he paused. "And Joey. What brings you two to my lab?"

"Ba- Mr. Allen, I need you to re-run the test Wally ran on our DNA," Dick said.

"I see... Are you sure this is what you want, Joey?" Barry asked gently.

"At least this time, I know the test is being run," Joey replied.

"Very well. Come here. I'll swab both of your cheeks and do the test that way."

"How long will it take to get the results?"

"With my machines working their magic? Not long at all," Barry replied with a smile. He took the samples quickly and began running the test. He studied the results for an agonizingly long amount of time that was probably only thirty seconds or so in reality before he finally spoke. "Okay," he said. "There is no doubt in my mind that these results are correct."

"And?" Joey asked.

"Is she my sister?" Dick asked at the same time.

"The likelihood that you are not extremely close relatives is non-existent," Barry said gently. "A match this close indicates full siblings."

Joey swayed a bit, but steadied herself by grabbing onto a table. "Joey... Sit down, sweetheart," Barry said gently.

"I don't understand... My father said he found me, abandoned in the street, but..." She began. She shook her head. "No... No, I need to... I need to go home."

"Joey, please, you're in shock-" Barry began.

"I'm sorry we bothered you, Mr. Allen. I have to go," Joey said again. She took off running.

"Hello! Go _after_ her, _Flash_!" Dick said. "She can't outrun _you_."

"That's not a good idea, Dick," Barry said. "She needs time to process this news. Give her the space she needs and I promise, she'll come back. And when she does, we can help her."

"Lex Luthor _lied _to her, Barry! Who knows what he'll do when he figures out that she's on to him?"

"She should be safe for now. Joey's a smart girl, Dick. I'm sure she won't do anything dangerous."

"But... She's my _sister_."

"She's your sister," Barry agreed. "And you have to let her figure out how to deal with that information on her own."

Dick felt like screaming, but he knew Barry was right. He couldn't risk driving Joey away again. She might not come back the next time. With a sigh, Dick mumbled, "Thanks, Barry."

"Do you need a ride home?" Barry offered.

"No thanks," Dick said. "I'll walk. I need to clear my head." He walked away before Barry could say anything else. _So much for getting whelmed,_ he thought. Every time he thought things were going to be okay, something else happened. He had to get to the bottom of this, and soon. He didn't want his sister with Lex Luthor for a second more than was absolutely necessary.

_**BLACK ADAM**_

It was time. The man known as Theo Adam had transformed into Black Adam and had prepared the sacred hall Lex Luthor had built just for this moment. He waited for the girl to arrived. As soon as he sensed her, he called upon his darkest powers to entrance her.

"Welcome, Joanna," he said as he lured her into the room.

Joanna stared at him with enlarged pupils, completely under the dark spell. She bowed to him, saying, "Master."

"Yes, Joanna. I am a master of dark magic, here to teach you about the powers which you possess," he explained. "You have not been exposed to any masters in a long time from what I understand. Today, you shall learn of the chaos which lurks inside of you. I will teach you to call upon the spark of Set which lives in your heart."

"Set..." She whispered, seemingly intoxicated by the name of the Egyptian God of Chaos.

"Indeed. You were injected with the blood of one of his ancient Pharaohs when you were a child. The abilities this gave you had to be made dormant for the safety of all until you were old enough to gain proper control. Now, we must call forth this power."

Joanna nodded slowly, and the lesson began.

_**BILLY**_

He knew something was wrong. He could almost feel it inside of himself. "Maybe I'd better..." He mumbled. He nodded, deciding it was the right call. "_Shazam!"_ He cried out, transforming himself into Captain Marvel.

"Billy? Is everything alright?" His uncle called in alarm. They'd just barely moved into the apartment Batman had secured for them. It was nice to have a place to call their own and not need to worry about sleeping on the street or fighting for a spot in the shelter. It might not seem like too much to an outsider, but to Billy, it was _everything_. Finally, he was home.

"Everything's fine, Uncle Dudley," Billy said. "I just... I think Cap's needed." Other than Batman, his uncle was the only one who knew his secret. He'd caught Billy transforming back one night a few months earlier. Instead of getting upset, he'd told Billy how proud he was of him and promised to keep his secret.

"Be careful, Billy," Dudley said, giving him a hug.

"I will. I'll be back in no time, I promise!" Billy said before racing out the door. He flew toward the source of his bad feeling... A random building that looked to be abandoned. "Hmmm... What _is_ this place?" he wondered aloud.

He didn't have time to find out before Black Adam came running outside. "Oh boy. Showtime!" Billy declared.

"_You_!" Black Adam shouted.

"Me? _You!_" Billy shot back.

"You will not defeat me, Captain Marvel! For today, I am not alone!"

Billy raised an eyebrow at that. He was stunned when someone walked out of the building behind Black Adam. "Meet my ally... Miss Nox! Show him what you have learned, my dear," Black Adam said.

The woman, who was cloaked in darkness, looked toward Billy. "Power of Set..." She said. Her voice was familiar, but Billy couldn't quite place it because another voice seemed to speak with her on top of it. Suddenly, Billy was hit with an invisible blast of power that attacked him hard. He crashed down to the ground below, knocked out of the air mid-flight.

"Excellent work, Miss Nox," Black Adam said. He began his own assault on Billy.

_Crap! Come _on_, Billy! You can _do _this! _Billy thought. He began to fight back, crying out, "Wisdom of Solomon! Stamina of Atlas! Courage of Achilles!" Suddenly, the assault wasn't doing as much damage to him. He wasn't afraid, and he knew what he had to do. "Power of Zeus!" He cried. He sent an attack of lightning at Black Adam, extending it toward Miss Nox as well.

Miss Nox went down easily, crying out in pain. Billy automatically pulled back. He needed to defend himself, but that didn't mean he had to hurt this woman. That would be excessive. As the darkness around her began to vanish, he saw that she wore a black mask over most of her face. Only her hair, lips, and eyes were exposed, and her eyes were currently squeezed shut in pain.

_She's new to this_, he realized. He pulled back even more, focusing most of his energy on Black Adam. Miss Nox seemed younger than Billy had expected. He really didn't want to do any serious damage to her, especially when she was no longer posing a threat.

"We'll meet again, Captain Marvel! And next time, we'll be prepared!" Black Adam shouted. He grabbed Miss Nox and vanished.

"Okay... _That_ was weird," Billy said. He had his strength back, so he began flying home. _Yeah... Home,_ he thought, loving the sound of that. He decided not to worry too much about what had happened. Maybe Black Adam had taken on a sidekick. It happened. He'd tell the Justice League as soon as possible, but it probably wasn't anything to panic over. As he arrived back home, he cried out, "_Shazam!_" He raced into the kitchen and said, "I _told_ you I'd be back soon, Uncle Dudley. What's for dinner?"

_**JOEY**_

She couldn't remember getting home, but she woke up in her bed just after midnight. Her arms were bruised, and she realized with a start that there was some sort of burn healing on her chest. "What the hell?" She wondered aloud. The wounds seemed to be old, but she was positive she hadn't had them earlier in the day.

She tried to think, but she couldn't remember anything from right after Mr. Allen had told her and Dick the test results. "I'm his sister..." She mumbled. She knew it must be true, but she still struggled to believe it. Dick was convinced, though, and there'd be no dropping the subject unless she found proof that he was wrong.

Joey decided to do something she wasn't supposed to do. She snuck into the attic, where her father kept his old files and other storage. She began looking through boxes quietly, not wanting to draw attention to herself and not sure what she was looking for. Finally, she found it... The box that contained all of the articles about her adoption, as well as some of her baby pictures.

She smiled at some of the photos, especially the ones of her father holding her looking like the proudest parent in the entire world. She relaxed, positive that whatever had happened, her father hadn't been involved. Maybe someone had kidnapped her, but gotten cold feet and left her behind. Maybe her parents had decided they only wanted one baby and they'd tossed her aside like trash. Alright, so maybe Dick _was_ her brother, but he didn't know the details of why their parents had abandoned her anymore than she did. Her father _couldn't_ have had any part in it.

She was about to close the box over when something caught her eye. She touched the necklace with trembling hands, not understanding why her father would have hidden it away unless it meant something. It looked identical to Dick's necklace, and she studied it, trying to understand why it was so important.

The inscription on the back of the necklace made Joey drop it in shock. _To our next Flying Grayson. May our love be your net. _

"Love..." Joey repeated aloud. "They put this on me... They _loved _me? They _wanted_ me? That's not the kind of thing someone writes if they're just going to abandon someone..." She shook her head. What was going on? She slipped the necklace into her pocket. The chain was too short, but she could put it on another one. Something told Joey she needed this necklace now more than these people... Her _parents_... Had ever known she would.

"It's true..." She whispered. "But how much did Dad know? Did he take me himself, or did he really just find me? If he did... If his story is true... Why hide this from me? Why make me think they didn't want me?"

"Joanna? It's late," her father called from downstairs. "What are you doing up there?"

"I think I was sleepwalking again," Joey lied. She hadn't done that in years, although it might explain the injuries she'd discovered. She gasped as she looked down at her chest and realized the burn was merely a light scab now. The bruises had faded away entirely. Had she imagined them?

"Come on downstairs," her father said. "I'll have one of the staff make you some tea to help you sleep."

Joey quickly walked downstairs after closing the box and putting it back where it had been. "Thanks," she said. She looked at her father and couldn't imagine him ever doing anything to hurt her.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?" He asked gently.

"Yeah... Everything's fine, Dad." She hugged him tightly before adding, "I love you."

He smiled at her. "Come on, let's get you that tea so you can rest," he said.

She nodded. "Okay, Dad..." She followed him to the kitchen and tried to process what she'd just discovered. Nothing made sense anymore, and she was starting to worry that nothing ever would again.


End file.
